Personnel lift vehicles are commonly used, such as in the form of electric picking machines or other equipment needed for storing goods in/on warehouses/racks and picking out goods therefrom. An operator stores goods on and picks goods from different levels by controlling the lifting height of the personnel lift vehicle or electric picking machine, and performing horizontal movement of the goods thereafter. Use of such a machine allows an operator to rise and descend along with the goods. Personnel lift vehicles often are associated with a carriage that may be manually or electrically moved or driven between locations for use in lifting or lowering the operator and goods. Configurations for prior art personnel lift vehicles or electric picking machines tend to have problems involving counterweight requirements to avoid tipping of the vehicle, and driving space requirements that can impair the ability to maneuver through relatively narrow aisles.